Dealing with the 'tall poppy syndrome'
As the hackneyed axiom goes: ‘The tallest trees catch the most wind’.
This proverb encapsulates how individuals who are highly successful and prominent attract the most attention, scrutiny, jealousy, and criticism.
Just as a tall tree stands exposed to the strongest gusts, those in high positions bear greater risks, pressure, and challenges.
Double World Cup winners like Handre Pollard and Willie le Roux were the targets of anonymous keyboard warriors with a ‘tall poppy syndrome’.
Pollard, 32, with 85 Tests, is the undisputed clutch king of the Springboks.
However, in his 13 starts for the Bulls in the 2025/26 season, he has had fluctuating form, with just six wins – five of those coming in the last six rounds.
Le Roux, 36 and with 101 Test caps, has come under fire even more severely. His 17 appearances have produced only eight wins, five in the last six rounds.
Bulls coach Johan Ackermann has a down-to-earth way of dealing with the ‘tall poppy syndrome’ of keyboard warriors
Ackermann used veteran Irish prop Tadhg Furlong as a classic example of a player who has come under searing critique from ‘keyboard warriors’ after a dip in form.
Recent criticism of Irish and Leinster prop, Furlong, centred on a dip in his scrummaging form during the 2026 Six Nations, including a viral incident where he was lifted in a scrum against Italy.
While regarded as a legend, some commentators suggest his top-level performance has declined, raising questions about his consistency.
“After he [Furlong] was scrummed by the Italians, everybody wanted to comment,” the Bulls coach told @JanDKrugby ahead of his team’s Champions Cup trip to Scotstoun and a face-off with Glasgow.
“Players’ form goes up and down, like anything in life,” a unpretentious Ackermann said.
“Sacha [Feinberg-Mngomezulu] was criticised, Willie [le Roux] faced critique, Handre [Pollard] faced the same.
“That is a reality of life.
“People have no mercy.
“It is crazy how one week a player can win a World Cup and two weeks later he [his character] can be denigrated.”
* (WATCH as Bulls coach Johan Ackermann reveals how he deals with ‘tall poppy syndrome’ of keyboard warriors…..)
Ackermann repeated that sport has its highs and lows, but added they ‘judge’ players like Le Roux and Pollard by what they do in the team environment.
“Selection is never easy,” he told @JanDKrugby, adding: “You will always disappoint players if they don’t get selected.
“You can only have 23 players in a matchday squad, even if you have a squad of 45.
“Sometimes the margins [between players] are small.
“Factors like the weather, whether you need to come from behind or build up a lead, utility players on the bench, the experience factor, that influences your [selection] decision.”
Ackermann said that a coach must ‘back’ his decisions and “live with the result”.
He added that you can’t allow the ‘what ifs’ to influence the calls you make.
“The toughest thing about coaching is that you select 23 players, back them and believe that they can do the job.
“All of our players, we know what they can do.
“Hopefully, when we need it, they will stand up and produce.
“However, we are all human, and there will be mistakes.
“All we can do is support each other and be there for each other.”
@JanDKrugby
@rugby365com
